We deal with the Transfiguration every year at the end of the season after Epiphany. But the feast of the Transfiguration is also one of the strange feasts that, when it lands on a Sunday, overrides the propers for that day.
How, then, we approach the Transfiguration now may be quite different than we do in February.
The overarching theme in Ordinary Time is most often discipleship. In other words, our focus is often in the following of Jesus and learning to live in the Kin-dom now.
The Transfiguration is well-suited to such a moment. Precisely because it occurs in the middle of the story. Meaning we encounter it here in much the way we would if we were reading through the gospel ourselves.
It hits like a disruption.
Or, more precisely, as a confusing moment in the middle of doing other things. Which is sort of perfect.
What is it that we are thinking about now, at the beginning of August? For many families it is literally back-to-school time. And for others it is nearing the end of the summer fun time. In either case, our focus is ahead. As in, what we’re going to be doing next. A brief time of planning as we prepare for fall.
This is an interesting synergy for many of us in North America with what the disciples are certainly experiencing.
The twelve closest disciples have just been named apostles and sent out into the world. This is probably the most fun and exciting time to be a follower of Jesus’s! They’re finally doing stuff! The world is open to them!
And what does that bring? Planning and looking ahead.
But what happens for the disciples in that moment? In Mark’s version it is far more obvious: they get out in front of their skis and tumble into the metaphorical water.
The challenge of preparing.
The story of the Transfiguration is awesome. And there are so many contours that are worth exploring in it.
For many of us, however, given the moment we’re in, we could probably use a reminder to focus a little less in planning out how awesome we are going to be. How perfect our fall schedule is. Or even, maybe, that we’re even in control of any of it.
As much as the big show is happening up the mountain, the context includes everything else. And as much as we often warn against staying in the mountaintop experience, we also spend far more time wading in the muck of the “real world” to be credible in that regard.